Rachael's Random Ramblings

ARGH! All my daughter wants to do is watch TV!! HELP!

Okay yes...first of all....MY BAD! *Smacks self on wrist*....I have let my kindergartener daughter, Isabelle, indulge in too much TV to begin with. She's 6 and literally has NO imagination to save herself. I have turned the TV OFF as of tonight because I have had it with her not being able to function without it on.  She has a blank expression when it is on, and a blank expression when it isn't on. The girl is a ZOMBIE.

Tonight, for example...I turn it off, I say "it's time we use our imagination's and come up with adventures!" She is literally pacing around the house without a clue in the world what to do with herself.

She has an almost 4 year old brother who is a Tom Sawyer...he plays ALL day with no need for someone else to entertain him. He's pretending and imagining and playing and jumping and having adventures all day. Why my daughter can't do this...I don't know.

It doesn't end there. Isabelle is VERY influenced by Hannah Montana and other teenie bopper shows. All she wants is to be a teenager and wear high heels and make-up....at SIX. To add to this, she has 2 stepsisters ages 7 and 8 at her Dad's house where she goes every other weekends. Lifestyle over there is VERY modern and materialistic...they BUY BUY BUY and SPEND SPEND SPEND. It's all about stuff and restaurants, and the latest movies and the latest fashions and going to the mall and running running running. They haven't a CLUE what being connected to the earth or "going without" means over there.

So tonight I get her back from her Dads and she's all hyped up about the Spyderwick Chronicle movie she saw, and the new Wii game her Dad bought her, and on and on and on and on. It's ALWAYS about stuff and spending.

First off we're not like that over here. Things move slow on the farm and we rarely even go to town. We don't buy buy buy. I can't offer nor do I want to offer that kind of lifestyle here. I'm not into materialism.  The worst thing here IS the tv and I can and have finally turned that off. BUT..I don't want Isabelle hating her life here and wishing she were at her Dads with all the constant buying they do. She's totally blinded at what life is really about, and I know it's hard to explain that to a TV and "stuff" obsessed 6 year old. I truly believe she is way too young to be so wrapped up in material things....and I want to put a stop to it...but I can't control what happens at her Dad's house, I can only control what happens here.

My goal is to show Isabelle that life is not about having stuff, or watching tv all day. I would love to see her learn to have an imagination that's HERS and not someone else's.

Any advice?

Can cookies and breads be mailed??

Okay long time no blog...LOL! I have a question for all you crafty gals! I would like to mail some cookies and homemade bread out, but is it still good when the items arrive to the receiver??

I'm shipping within the US, so nothing overseas.

I really want to send some friends some home baked goodies (pumpkin bread, cookies, etc) but I'm afraid they'll be yucky and old? HELP!

Also, if shipping homebaked goods IS possible, what are some good ideas for packaging, etc? And what shipping method is best? Thanks in advance!!

Rachael

Alternatives to plastic sandwich baggies...and lunch ideas...

School is upon us!! Isabelle is sooo excited to be starting Kindergarten! She will also get to experience riding the bus which she is very excited about also. I've been reassured by the bus driver that the youngest sit together up front where she can watch them, and the oldest sit towards the back.

We've looked over the lunch menu and have decided what days she will take her lunch and what days she will purchase. Looks like next week she will be bringing her lunch twice, and I'm busy planning what she will take.

I've decided I just cannot bring myself to do the plastic sandwich baggies. The teachers have the kids dump out their trash at the cafeteria everyday, and all those baggies going into our landfills is enough to turn me off from the whole idea forever. Now, I must say, I do use plastic baggies sometimes, for freezing, candies, etc, so I'm not totally "green", but if I can find alternatives to wrapping sandwiches and other food in that can be reused easily, I'm all for it.

So, I'll be using wax paper and cloth for her sandwiches, and reusable containers for her fruit, puddings, and other messy or wet items. There's a site called reusablebags.com that sells some interesting, earth friendly lunch wrap alternatives....their sandwich wrap is especially cool!

Isabelle will be using a metal lunch box, a stainless steel insulated, wide-mouthed thermos for casseroles, hearty soups, etc., plus another insulated stainless steel thermos for hot or cold drinks (I can pack her some hot chocolate in the winter).

As far as lunch ideas, Isabelle LOVES ham sandwiches, so there's one. She also mentioned wanting to take some of my taco casserole as her school lunch. Of course, carrot sticks, celery, bananas, peanut butter crackers, popcorn, granola, and grapes are good side item ideas.

Desserts will be baked on Sundays, and then frozen for the weeks ahead, that way when it's packed frozen it'll be thawed out (hopefully ) and fresh tasting by lunch time. Each Sunday I'll bake a different dessert so that there are a variety in the freezer to choose from so she won't be subjected to the same thing all week (sugar cokies are great, but day after day would get tiresome).

Puddings, muffins, cookies, and brownies are just some of the ideas I have for yummy treats this year. Oh, and Isabelle saw a commercial for this new Oreo thing, instead of a crunchy cookie, it's cake-like with the cream filling. So basically a Suzie-Q or whoopie pie. I saw them at the store, and I "may" buy her some when I have a little more money, but at dang near $2.50 a box for just a few of them it'll have to wait awhile. In the meantime, I've found a recipe for whoopie pies which sound delicious!! So I'm going to whip up a batch and see what the kids think of them, and pack them as desserts in the lunches instead of the store bought Oreo cake things. Hopefully she'll forget ALL about the store bought stuff! (blegh!) LOL!

If they're good, I'll post the recipe!

Well, off to get clothes washed!

Tired! But a GOOD tired!

I was quite the happy little "hillbilly" housewife today! I got so much done! I cleaned the kids' bathroom, vacuumed the whole upstairs, did tons of laundry and got it hung up on the line....then even got it all folded and put away (that's my biggest issue...it's not getting it washed, it's the putting away that I have a hard time doing). But man it felt sooo good to get all that done!

Then, I went into the freezer to see what I was going to do for dinner, and something didn't seem right when I was scoping things out. Yes, something was off. Everything was sort of.........sweating. OH NO!!! I checked the thermostat (which is located below just inside the refrigerator door) and SURE ENOUGH!! At some point, Dusty must have tampered with the thermostat because it was all the way down to the warmest temp!! UGH!! Everything was soft, the bluberries were totally thawed out, my ground beef was going soft........UGH!!!

Sooooo....we made blueberry muffins and a taco casserole for dinner! LOL! The blueberries are scrumptious and the taco bake was the best!! The kids cleaned their plates, even my picky 3 year old ate it with gusto!!

Taco casserole:

1 and 1/2 pounds ground beef

I pkg. taco seasoning

1 can whole kernel corn/drained

1 can tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

1 onion finely chopped

3 tbs olive oil

1 cornbread recipe (I just used a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

preheat oven to 400*

You can make and bake this dish in a cast iron skillet, or simply bake it in a cassserole dish....either way is fine!

saute' onion in the olive oil. set aside.

Brown ground beef in skillet and drain. Add taco seasoning, onion, water, tomato sauce, and corn (you can some chopped green pepper if you'd like). Mix it all up in the skillet and simmer for a little while.

Then, in a seperate bowl, mix your cornbread recipe as directed.

If you're using a cast iron skillet, just pour the cornbread mixture right ontop of the beef mixture and stick it in the oven and bake until the cornbread is golden. If using a casserole dish, same thing.....beef on bottom, cornbread mixture ontop and bake.

Take it out of the oven, sprinkle the cheese ontop of the bake and put back in oven until the cheese is melted.

Serve with salsa, sour cream, or what have you! ENJOY!!

Tater tot casserole!

The recipe for a tater tot casserole was requested, so here it is! It's actually the same recipe that is on the Duggar Family website, and I just reduce it down to half for my family! It's cheap, filling, and comforting. Definately not your fanciest meal, but it's easy and kids seem to enjoy it!

Tater Tot Casserole:

2 lbs ground beef or turkey, cooked, drained, and seasoned

3 2lb bag tater tots

2 cans cream of mushroom

2 cans cream of chicken

2 cans evaporated milk (regular milk is just fine too, though)

Brown meat and place in large casserole dish. Cover with tater tots. Mix soup and milk together and pour over the top. Bake at 350* for about an hour.

Baking fun with my son!

While my 5 year old daughter, Izzy, is away at her dad's for a week, my 3 year old, Dusty, gets to take over the cooking duties........okay....well..... the "pouring and stirring" duties anyways. LOL!

I get everything done that I can while the baby sleeps, which also means preparing dinner at lunch time (since baby Sam has his "up" time from 4pm to 10pm). So today I threw together a tater tot casserole, and while that was baking, Dusty and I mixed up some sugar cookies!! (I got the recipe off of hillbillyhousewife.com).

And here they are! They are soooo good and soooo cheap and easy to make! My 3 favorite words.....cheap, easy, and good

Small town charm!

Hot, hot and HOT with no rain in sight! This is the kind of heat when grass quits growing! Gotta love Missouri!

Last night, Darin and I cooked steaks on the grill. Since the coons had eaten our corn while we were away in Oklahoma to have the baby, I went to a local veggie stand nearby to pick up a few ears to throw on the grill. I just had baby Sam in the car with me when I pulled up to the veggie stand (Dusty stayed with daddy, Elyssa is off at horse camp, and Izzy is with her dad for a week, so we just have the 2 boys).

It was so sweet....the farmer came up to my window as I pulled up, and I said "Ya gonna gimme drive thru service?" He laughed and slapped the door and said "why heck yes!! Whatcha needin'?"

I said "just need 3 ears of corn."

"just THREE?" he exclaimed, as if 3 ears was unheard of.

"yup, just 3."

He then peered back into the seat and saw baby Sammy sleeping in his carseat. "How old?" he asked.

"Almost 3 weeks!"

The farmer then went to his pickup and sorted out some corn and stuck them in a plastic bag, then handed them throught the window to me. I had my money ready.

"here ya go" he says, handing me the sack. "I put FOUR ears in there......and it's ON THE HOUSE!"

I about cried. "What? NO sir! Let me pay you!!" and I waved my money at him.

He shook his head and waved me on with a smile..."Nope, they're on me!"

I thanked him and couldn't believe what a sweetheart he was! I drove away feeling a flood of emotion with that small town charm that you just don't get in the big cities. I love rural towns!!!!!

Darin grilled the corn to perfection and tasted deeeelicious! Dusty ate his with gusto!

I looked around our small homestead last night and gave thanks to everything we have...the land, the children, a great husband, the farmhouse, the henhouse, the barn, the garden, even the clothesline, and gave thanks to being able to live the small town, rural country life that I love so much....I'm truly blessed!!

Question for mommies about my newborn...sleep apnea?

Okay all you mommies....my almost 3 week old goes through bouts of irregular type breathing during REM sleep, and then will also sort of "hold his breath" or stop breathing for about 5-7 seconds, then catch his breath again, sometimes with a startle. Then he'll breathe fine and then do it again. He'll do this many times before he finally goes into a deeper sleep, then he seems fine.

For the life of me I can't remember my other two babies doing this. If so, I didn't notice or think it was a huge deal. My question is...is this is a normal baby thing that they outgrow or should I be calling the ped. for an apnea monitor....LOL! (I'm such a freak about my babies! *rolls eyes*).

Anybody out there know what I'm talking about? Oh, and Sam also forgets to close his eyes before he falls asleep, and has that creepy rapid eye movement with eyes open. I just tease his eyelids shut...LOL!!

I'm going to order my chicks! What breeds do you all like?

Well, our chickens have slowly been eliminated by foxes, stray dogs, or just by being spent. I wanted to wait until after I had the baby to order some new chicks, and now it's time!!

My last batch of layers consisted of a "chicken soup" of varieties, so to speak. I had Rhode Islands, a few Buff O's, and some Wyandottes....and a few other mixed types. I LOVED my Buff O's!

What breeds do you prefer and why (either layers, meat, or combo)??

I'm thinking I'd like a few meat birds as well as layers.....but mainly layers.

Also, I want to have a rooster this go round. Do I just need one or can I get a couple? I'll keep the rooster(s) separate from my layers. I would love some advice! If I have a mixed crop of chicken breeds, what breed of rooster should I get? I'm a little confused about that. LOL!!

Thanks everyone!

Long time, no blog! And I had my baby!

I had baby Samuel Wyatt on July 18th, at 12:25 pm. He was 8 lbs, 11 oz....and a FULL head of hair! I mean FULL!! He is doing very well and we've adjusted to a pretty good schedule already.

I'll post pics soon, just wanted to check in and announce that I'm alive and well and just need to catch up on my blogging! LOL!

BIG trouble......baby update!!

As some of you know, I'm due to have a baby next week (induction). Well, I went in yesterday to have a sonogram at the doc's office just to check the size and weight (as I tend to have large babies)........and ........*gulp*.......I'm at 38 weeks, but my baby is measuring 40 weeks, and weighs between 8 lbs 9 oz and 8 lbs-13 oz....

At a week to go....I'm going to be giving birth to a toddler.

On the upside...he's appears to be healthy!! I can't wait to meet my little....er.....BIG baby boy!!!

Guess I need to start picking names out, huh?? LOL!!

Umm...OOPS! Forgot they were shutting our water off!

Once or twice a year, the water department shuts off everybody's water for routine repairs (or something to that effect). Well, they sent us a notice and both Darin and I compleeeetely forgot about it! Darin had set out a big pail last night to put water in, and D'OH!! We forgot to actually PUT water in it this morning! I went out shopping first thing with Ma so I in my rush to leave I had forgotten to fill it, and Darin went to work and he had forgotten.....when I came back from town the water was off.

It's not too bad though, luckily Darin had scrubbed out the cattle trough just yesterday and re-filled it, so I've been hauling water from that to pour into the toilet to "flush" it.

This afternoon, the kids and I cut open a juicy watermelon and sat outside in the summer sun and ate it  (NO FORKS! We used nothing but our hands to hold it and our faces to eat it ). It was hilarious and the kids had a blast! Then after their faces and chins and arms were streaked and sticky with melon juice, they dove into the cattle trough for a good swim and a wash off.

After they were done swimming, I got out a pitcher, soap, and towels, and gave them their baths from the cattle trough since a bath indoors was not possible (they stood outside the trough on the grass so it didn't suds up our only source of water for the time being). Then they dried off in the sun. By that time, we could hear a distant storm rolling in....so we went inside and I let them pick out a movie to watch. Now they're cuddled on the couch with their favorite blankies watching their show and quietly having some down time.

Also today, I got Elyssa's care package mailed off to the horse camp she's at. We (the kids and I) decided on sending her a little stuffed horsey, a hand written letter updating her on the family and farm, a suduko (sp?) book, and a novel about a stray dog who has all of these adventures. It looked pretty cute and Elyssa LOVES dogs. Isabelle colored her a picture, and then we enclosed a few photographs of the family. It only cost a little over $4.00 to ship it, so not too bad! I really wanted to bake her favorite cookies and send off, but they don't allow food to be sent. I can sort of understand that, though. But still !! LOL!

I guess that's all for now. The storm is nearing closer so it's time to batten down the hatches incase our power gets knocked out (which happens a LOT). No water and no power.....which means some tall glasses of milk, some cookies, and a good book! Doesn't sound too bad, eh? LOL! At least the kids are clean!

I'm going to miss the fair!!

It's a bittersweet feeling, because my scheduled induction to have my baby is next week, and so is the county fair!!! 

I really wanted to go, but there's no way now! I was even thinking of entering a few baked goods, and my daughters quilt that her Grandma C. made, and maybe a few veggies from our garden. It's not gonna happen this year! I guess I could have my sis-in-law or someone run up and enter these things FOR me, but I really don't want to put anyone up to the task, I just wouldn't feel right.....plus I'd need to arrange to go pick them up after the fair, but I've really got too much going on to be doing all that this year. *sigh*

Well, on the bright side of pouting, I'll be seeing my little bun in the oven soon!! Yay!

Help! Need ideas for a care package for a camper!

Okay all, I need some ideas for a care package to be sent to my 12 year old stepdaughter who is away at horse camp!

The only rule is: I can't send food, which is soooo sad because I wanted to send her some home baked cookies and enough to share with her camper buddies, so that plan is out!

Now I'm not quite sure what to send?? Any ideas?? I'm having a brain fart! LOL!

The gazillion glorious uses for jelly and sauce jars!!

I think I'll type in bold today, see if it's any easier to read.

My husband, Darin, used to wonder why I save and wash up the jars and lids from honey, jellies, jams and sauces...well....he's learned how useful they can be on a homestead! We've caught baby snakes to put in them (after puncturing holes in the lids with nails) for the kids to briefly observe and study up close which they found fascinating! The other day my stepdaughter Elyssa (12), wanted to have some "pets", so she took one of the jars and fetched some water bugs from the pool (our pool is a cattle trough) to keep in her room! LOL! Upon thinking about that, it's been a few days now...guess I'd better run up there and see how they're doing.

Darin needed something to catch a beetle in to take to the exterminators and ask the best way to dispose of the infesting little nuisances, so what did he use to do such a task??? Yup!! A jelly jar! LOL!

Not only that, but they're great for re-using to put cookie and brownie mixes in to give as gifts around the holidays. Also, I found a neat project that the kids can do by painting the jars with a see-thru type paint (like you'd use for stained glass suncatchers), then filling the jars with wax and a wick to make candles! So when the wick is lit it will light up the paint on the side of the jar. Another great gift giving idea!

We have little teeny tree frogs coming around the house, and Isabelle (5) was wanting to catch one the other day and put in a jar so she could see it up close......we couldn't get the one she wanted because it was too high on the house, but we have our jar good and ready for when he decides to come down a little closer...LOL!

There are soooo many uses for jars, the possibilities are ENDLESS! Silly husband.

I'm so excited!

I really want to learn all there is to know about dairy goats. I've had nubians in the past but never milked them, they were just pets. I used to milk a herd of 90 Holstein cows for a dairy back in my teens, so I know a little about the process of milking, but only a little, since handmilking and processing for home use is probably totally different than machine/commercial milking...and then the whole cow vs. goat factor....two different animals....so really, I'm back to square one in the learning process of milking.

Anyways, Darin wants goats NOW, like right now if we could. He's tired of paying the high cost for milk at the store, and he wants some weed eaters to help clear out the thick underbrush we have. I want to make goat milk soap and train the billy to pull a cart for the kids. BUT.... I've told him we can't get goats until we have better fencing or else we'll be getting calls from the neighbors asking us to come get our goats out of their flower beds. Plus, we're due to have a baby in a few weeks, and now is just a bad time to be taking on anymore than what we already have.

So, realistically we're looking at fall or early spring to get our goat herd. 

However, I called and talked to a neighbor of mine today, Mrs. Crandy (recently widowed ), to find out what breed of goat she was milking. Turns out she has alpines (the EXACT breed I want!) and sells the milk and makes goat milk soap. She was MORE than happy to have me come over teach me all I want to know about milking and soapmaking!! I'm soooo excited!! I'll not be doing the soap making right away as being 9 months pregnant I don't want to inhale the fumes....but she said she'll have some does kidding in the fall and will have a new supply of milk and can show me then!

I'm so excited to know somebody close-by to learn from! Yay!! Of course, after she shows me how to do the soap making I'll have to come up with my own recipes so as to not use hers.

So that's my news! LOL!

Anyone else have *visitor's* of the paranormal kind??

First of all, I know this can be a bit of a controversial topic, but I absolutely LOVE the idea of ghosts and the paranormal.....I'm a bit of a ghost hunter infact. I'm very open minded to ALL theories and explanantions whether it be for or against the possible existence........so no one can offend me with what they believe...religious, scientific, or what have you, I'm open to everything. I have friends who are strong skeptics, and some who are true believers.

Anyways, our "friend" visits on occasion, and as I'm not a psychic, I don't know whether I'm dealing with a man, woman, or child, or one of each. I've heard the toys in the kids' rooms being tinkered with when the kids are fast asleep in their beds.....so maybe child. BUT, we've also heard heavy man-type footsteps before. And then again, I've heard a woman's voice call out.

The latest visit was last night...(our visits are as frequent as twice a week, or as seldom as once a month).....I was asleep in bed and my hair was tugged quite firmly from underneath the back of my neck. Did I accidently have my hair tucked under my arm or pillow that when I moved produced a jerking sensation? Possibly, but I was completely still. I hadn't moved....the tug happened before I jumped straight up.

Anyways, that's my experience. Nothing harmful or wicked at all, it all seems to be inquisitive and harmless, so I'm not frightened. When little surprises happen that I can't explain, it sometimes sends me back a step for awhile.

Anybody want to share a story? I'm open and all ears! 

When too many toys becomes overwhelming!

Ah! It's nice to be able to blog again! Well, the rain finally ended on Sunday, but not without our roof leaking ....luckily it's just in one spot, and it's in a spot in the bathroom where it can be easily fixed, but still, it's aggravating knowing we have a leak. I made Darin go up in the attic at 2 in the morning to check on the bucket he had placed up there to catch the rainwater....he was none too happy about that. He reassured me it wasn't full yet, but I didn't care, I wanted to know! He was SUCH a grizzly bear about my request, I mean, he DID it, but not without growling and huffing in a groggy stupor about it. Oh, and like he said.....the bucket was fine. LOL!

Well, it was in HIS best interest to check it, or else I wouldn't have slept the rest of the night.......and then I would have been the grizzly bear all the next day....and you know what they say....."If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"

Also Sunday, our power went out for 4 hours....no biggie really, but it sent me figuring on how to better prepare our home for power outages in the future. I mean, we've had them before, but someday, there's going to be a bad ice storm or some other wintery disaster leaving us without power for possibly days, it WILL happen, and it's time to get prepared!

Monday I spent the day decluttering Isabelle's room. She's 5, and has toys in her room that she hasn't touched since she was 3, so it was ridiculous to keep them anymore. Izzy was there throughout the entire process, and she decided what stayed and what went, and she was okay with letting about 70% of her things go .  I was really shocked at how little she wanted to actualy keep. One item she was ready to let go was a nice dollhouse, her little brother has actually played with it more than Izzy has! So, we collected that up and the contents (furniture, etc) and will be giving it to Izzy's new baby cousin who is barely 2 weeks old, so she won't actually be able to PLAY with it for over a year....but they grow so fast!

There were so many toys we ended up bagging up, and Izzy was okay with all of it. She kept ONLY what she wanted, and I was proud of her, there was no arguing or tears, she was very big about everything and I was very impressed. Isabelle is really not into too many toys, even being 5. She enjoys some toys, like her dolls and a few stuffed animals, but for the most part she enjoys arts and crafts, coloring, games and puzzles, work books, writing her name, counting, "reading", playing dress up and engaging in make believe adventures. She also loves being outdoors and just utilizing the outdoor possibilties like jumping on the trampoline, blowing bubbles, and riding her pony a little here and there. She LOVES swimming in the pool (which is nothing more than a large, round, cattle trough). So, the less toys she wants to have is sooooo fine with me! It beats having a room full of clutter of bits and pieces.

It's so nice to walk into her room now and see it so nice and tidy! She has the few dolls and toys that are dear to her, things she could never part with, like her "boo-boo bear", a bear that her daddy surprised her with when he heard she had fallen down and hurt her knees real bad. She doesn't play with it much, but it's there, and she remembers what it means to her and that's what's important, so it always has a place here even if it collects dust. Then she has little things her Grandma's have given or made her, and other things she absolutely adores or just the "toy of the moment". I could fit everything into a small trash bag if I had to, but even though it's not much, everything is special to her and I love that! I'm very proud of her!

I went through Dusty's room next, and well, we bagged up a lot of untouched/unwanted toys too. They're both down to the things they CANNOT live without, and I feel sooooo much more clutter free around here! Yay!

ACK!!! My add entry box is gone too!!! Just the title is all I can write in!!

Rain, rain, and MORE rain!

Last night was another full night of rain! This morning.....rain.

I packed Darin a lunch of a hard boiled egg, sliced cucumber, and a tuna salad sandwich on honey wheat bread (he thought it was chicken!). As he was walking out to the truck with his lunchsack in hand, ready for work, I jokingly hollered "You eat all that, mister.......AND NO TRADING!!" LOL!!

Since it rained most of the day, I put Elyssa and Isabelle to work in the kitchen for a morning fun of baking! They made a batch of pudding first, then made homemade brownies from an old family recipe...yum! After I set out all the bowls, measuring cups, spoons, and ingredients, I completely turned the kitchen over to them. They had SUCH a blast, and although Elyssa was "Master Chef" since she is oldest and was able to do the reading and measuring, she did a great job in giving "apprentice" Isabelle small helpful tasks like pouring in the ingredients and stirring! . It was so much fun to see them working together!

Dusty paid little attention to the girls, he was much to busy playing with his toy cars....and although I'd love to include a picture of him in todays blog, I can't.......because.....well...... he chose to spend the day.....um......naked. Yes....naked. He has his days where I CANNOT keep clothes on the kid!

After the brownies were in the oven, aprons were off and they all went outside to jump on the trampoline in the pouring rain . There was no lightning or thunder anywhere, it was just rain, plain and simple rain, so I felt it safe to let them go. Elyssa and Izzy even put their swimsuits on! LOL!! They were out there for quite awhile, and finally came in sooooaking wet but grinning ear to ear.

After lunch, we tasted the pudding and brownies, and everything was deeeelicious!

Overall we had a fun day, even with the constant rain. They only turned the tv on once and it wasn't on half an hour before they got bored with it and found something else to do. YAY!! I may be winning the tv battle after all!!